The present invention is related to the field of boat trailers and equipment for loading and unloading boats from boat trailers. More particularly, the present invention is related to the field of boat trailers and equipment for guiding boats during loading and unloading from boat trailers.
A boat trailer is usually used to transport a boat over land. A standard boat trailer consists of a frame, two or more wheels attached to the frame, and a winch stand near the front of the trailer which supports a winch and cable system. A number of rubber rollers on the frame facilitate loading and unloading the boat from the trailer and secure the boat on the trailer during transport.
A boat ramp is ordinarily used for loading a boat from the water onto the trailer or unloading a boat from the trailer into the water. In fact, most boating facilities are equipped with at least one boat ramp. A boat ramp has a surface (usually paved) that gradually slopes toward the water and for some distance below the surface of the water. A boat dock is usually installed on at least one side of and parallel to the boat ramp.
To load a boat from the water onto the trailer, the driver of the vehicle backs the trailer down the boat ramp into the water until the trailer reaches an appropriate depth. The boat is usually tied to the dock at this point. The appropriate depth for the trailer is often difficult to determine, and may only be learned through trial and error or experience. In any event, when the trailer is at an appropriate depth, the front of the trailer and winch stand are usually just above the surface of the water while the rear of the trailer is submerged well below the surface.
The boat is guided from the dock toward the trailer, and the bow of the boat is connected to the winch cable. At this point, the bow usually engages the rollers near the front of the trailer as they are either just below or just above the surface of the water. However, the stern does not engage the rollers at the back of the trailer as these rollers are too deep in the water. As a result, there is nothing on a standard boat trailer to restrict the movement of the stern of the boat, and it is free to wander to one side or the other. This wandering makes the boat difficult to control, and can make loading the boat a difficult task, especially for a single person, and especially in adverse conditions, such as windy or rough weather, or where the boat ramp slopes to one side or the other.
The boat is then pulled by the winch until the bow engages a roller on the winch stand. At this point, the stern of the boat still may not engage the rollers at the back of the trailer. The stern must be centered on the trailer as best as possible, after which time the driver pulls the trailer out of the water. As the trailer is pulled from the water, the stern of the boat will settle on the rollers at the back of the trailer. However, if the stern was not centered correctly, it might not properly engage those rollers. The trailer would then have to be backed into the water, and the above procedure repeated. This could take several attempts, depending on the experience of the driver and/or the conditions at the boat ramp.
To unload a boat from a boat trailer into the water, the driver of the vehicle backs the trailer down the boat ramp until the trailer reaches an appropriate depth. Again, this depth can be difficult to determine. Once the trailer has been submerged, the stern of the boat will float above the rollers at the back of the trailer, and may wander to one side or the other. The winch is released and the boat is slid along the rollers until the entire boat is disengaged from the rollers. At this point, the entire boat may wander. If the boat wanders away from the dock, it can be difficult to retrieve.
A number of solutions to the problems associated with loading and unloading boats from trailers have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,332 issued on Jul. 20, 1982 to Davies describes two quadrilateral shaped gates which are pivotally attachable to the rear corners of a boat trailer. With the trailer on a boat ramp out of the water, the boom gates are manually pivoted from a forward transporting position alongside the trailer to a rearward guiding position out over the water and alongside a floating boat. Once the boat is loaded, the gates are manually pivoted back to the transporting position. As described above, the gates must be manually operated in order for the invention to function. U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,706 issued on Nov. 24, 1992 to Fond describes a boat-shaped guide having a closed and an open end, the closed end being pivotally attachable to the front of a boat trailer. The guide is biased by an elevation means such as a gas charged cylinder or a coil spring so as to elevate relative the trailer. When the boat is resting on the guide, the elevation means is overcome and the guide remains in a lowered position. When the weight of the boat is removed, the elevation means causes the guide to elevate. The elevated guide helps keep the boat centered in the water during loading and unloading from the trailer. However, it should be noted that this guide is not easily adaptable to fit boats of various shapes and sizes. In addition, a specialized winch stand must replace the standard winch stand of the trailer in order to accommodate the elevation means.
In addition, a number of specialized boat trailers have been described. U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,713 issued on Jul. 20, 1993 to Kovach, U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,206 issued on May 7, 1991 to Ernst et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,249 issued on Jul. 26, 1994 to Solberg et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,185 issued on Jul. 26, 1983 to Whaley and U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,260 issued on Apr. 2, 1991 to Smyly, Sr. each describes specialized boat trailers. These trailers often involve complicated mechanisms, and can be difficult to operate and expensive to purchase.
In a broad aspect, the present invention provides a trailer-mounted boat guiding means for keeping a boat centered in the water in relation to a boat trailer during loading and unloading of said boat from said trailer, said boat guiding means comprising a left and right boat guiding mechanism attachable to a left and a right side of said trailer respectively, each of said boat guiding mechanisms comprising a trailer attachment means for attaching said boat guiding mechanism to a side of said trailer, a supporting member having a first end and a second end, said first end being connected to said trailer attachment means, and said second end being displaced outwardly and upwardly relative to said first end, a guiding arm pivotally connected to said second end of said supporting member to allow said guiding arm to pivot upwardly from a transport position to a boat guiding position, and a flotation means associated with said guiding arm, wherein said flotation means is of sufficient buoyancy, and is so associated with said guiding arm, so as to cause said guiding arm to pivot upwardly from the transport position to the boat guiding position when said trailer is submerged in the water for loading or unloading said boat from said trailer.
In one embodiment, the position of the guiding arms on the guiding mechanisms are adjustable in three dimensions relative to the boat trailer to ensure that the present invention can be used with boats of varying shapes and sizes. Similarly, the means of attaching the present invention to the boat trailer is also adjustable to ensure the present invention is attachable to most standard boat trailers.
In another embodiment, the boat guiding mechanisms have a stopping means for controlling downward rotation of the guiding arms relative to the supporting members past the stopping means. As a result, the downward rotation of the guiding arms can be controlled.
There is further provided a boat trailer, comprising a boat frame, a vehicle attachment means connected to said frame, a plurality of wheels connected to said frame, and a left and right boat guiding mechanism near the rear of each of a left and right side of said frame respectively, for keeping a boat centered in the water during loading and unloading of said boat from said trailer, each of said boat guiding mechanisms comprising a supporting member having a connected end and a second end, said connected end being attached to said frame, and said second end being displaced outwardly and upwardly relative to said connected end, a guiding arm pivotally connected to said second end of said supporting member to allow said guiding arm to pivot upwardly from a transport position to a boat guiding position, and a flotation means associated with said guiding arm, wherein said flotation means is of sufficient buoyancy, and is so associated with said guiding arm, so as to cause said guiding arm to pivot upwardly from the transport position to the boat guiding position when said trailer is submerged in the water for loading or unloading said boat from said trailer.
The present invention is an important improvement upon other boat guiding means described above in that it is simple and inexpensive to construct, easy to operate and attachable to most standard boat trailers. In addition, if brightly coloured, the flotation means and/or guiding arms can act as indicators to the driver that the boat trailer has reached an acceptable depth in the water for loading or unloading the boat. When the guiding arms begin to float approximately parallel to and near the surface of the water, the trailer has reached an acceptable depth. Finally, depending on the material selected, the flotation means can also act as a bumper to prevent damage to the boat from contact with the guiding arms.